Animal-assisted therapy in a Canadian psychiatric prison.
Int J Prison Health
; 15(3): 209-231, 2019 08 29.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31329041
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
Prison-based animal programs are becoming increasingly common in North America. The majority focus on community and animal well-being, with less explicit therapeutic goals for human participants. The purpose of this paper is to measure the objectives of a canine animal-assisted therapy (AAT) program in a Canadian psychiatric prison and examine whether the program supports inmates' correctional plans. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH:
A modified instrumental case study design was applied with three inmates over a 24-AAT-session program. Quantitative and qualitative AAT session data were collected and mid- and end-of-program interviews were held with the inmates, their mental health clinicians and the therapy dog handlers.FINDINGS:
Inmates connected with the therapy dogs through the animals' perceived offering of love and support. This development of a human-animal bond supported inmates' correctional plans, which are largely situated within a cognitive-behavioral skill development framework. Specifically, inmates' connections with the therapy dogs increased recognition of their personal feelings and emotions and positively impacted their conduct. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS The findings suggest that prison-based AAT programs emphasizing inmate mental well-being, alongside that of animal and community well-being generally, merit further exploration. It would be worthwhile to assess this AAT program with a larger and more diverse sample of inmates and in a different institutional context and also to conduct a post-intervention follow-up. ORIGINALITY/VALUE This is the first study of a prison-based AAT program in a Canadian psychiatric correctional facility.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Bases de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Prisiones
/
Prisioneros
/
Terapia Cognitivo-Conductual
/
Terapia Asistida por Animales
/
Trastornos Mentales
Tipo de estudio:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Qualitative_research
País/Región como asunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int J Prison Health
Año:
2019
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Canadá